Extreme Spring Break - Floral Fantasy

vintage wool jacket, cashmere sweater, jacob skirt

After recovering from my vacation on the North Pole ( not the real North Pole, it just seemed like it ), ie. laundry, mostly, I was revelling in the relative warmth, and delighting in signs of spring in my own garden. It is reassuring to see the perennials leafing out, like old friends who've come back from a trip just a little larger. I am always full of ideas about things I want to plant, after having spent a rainy winter reading about gardening and writing notes to myself full of latin words, I am eager to tidy the unruly beds and rearrange the plants like furniture.
I am a looky - loo, I love to look at other people gardens, get ideas, see what they have. A trip to Victoria, at it's loveliest in spring, always provides ample opportunity for botanical tourism. I had an errand to do, I had consigned a couple designer items to a store in Oak Bay, just before Christmas, on a three month contract. I wanted to check what had sold and bring by another couple items I recently winnowed out of my burgeoning closet.I had a fantasy about combining this with a cultural excursion with the children. The reality is that the oldest, in her last year of school, not even around during spring break. At 12 and 14 the boys expressed no interest whatsoever in this proposed diversion. They are happier riding their dirt bikes around and around the garden. I, however, am not so easily amused, and thus it was with a glad heart that I embarked on my solo journey.

Gorgeous giant cherry tree

 I had planned a sort of budget shopping day, confining my shopping to thrift, consignment and second hand stores. Fair Victoria ( a city with provisions in it's statute that it be kept pretty as a postcard at all times) has such great shopping, and so many cute little neighborhoods where you can walk around, get a coffee, shop, have lunch, etc., if you can find parking.

Echeveria and rosemary in bloom

As a collector and semi-professional shopper I sometimes accumulate higher end, designer goods that don't fit me or are not my size. If I don't know someone else who will fit/appreciate them, if I want to sell them I go to Victoria. Since I had two items at the House Of Savoy, I went there first. As it turns out, the extremely narrow mint condition black Ferragamo riding boots did sell. This pleases me, since I purchased them on Ebay at least 5 years ago, they have been beautiful instruments of torture for me. A muffin top on your calf, not flattering. And yay, actually I like the red lightweight wool Ferré coat, and am wearing it for spring, so am glad that didn't go. I looked for cloisonné and jade bracelets, and checked out a cashmere sweater, but decided to move on. There is another consignment store on Oak Bay Avenue. The very next block has a household goods store,Good Things, with a steady stream of people bringing in their collectibles, rugs, lamps, even fabric and jewellry. Reasonable prices and a large discount area keeps items flowing out fairly quickly too.  I left with two small cloisonné vases, I have a thing for Chinese decorative arts. Over to Cook street for lunch at Bubby's Kitchen, where we sat in the sun. great salads and yummy fresh baked goods. Just up the street, a Win thrift and Victoria Hospice Boutique. I'm not the only one thrilled with the black silk La Perla nightgown I found, also a Prada (!) cotton skirt, just a little too tight . . .  what am I doing sitting here at my computer, later babes, I have to go jogging.

Summer Events and Places to Be - Courtenay Music Festival

Looking ahead to summers` pleasures, as one does on any sunny day in spring, a favourite subject of contented contemplation is the Courtney Music Festival. Named as one of the top 25 summer festivals in North America, it is easy to see why . Shaded by leafy trees, with open grassy areas for seating, the location is large and spread out enough to easily acommodate the crowds who wander between the three different caping sites, six stages, the food area, the vendors, the beer gardens, and the happening, hands on, kids area. Hopefully not in that order. The Tsolum River borders one side of the festival , the perfect place to cool off on a hot summers day between performances.

  Taking place this year on July 6,7, and 8, this year`s lineup features Emmy Lou Harris (!!!:)) and Canadian new stars The Sheepdogs. Not that this festival has disappointed in other years, what a thrill it was to see David Crosby last year. And Arrested Development, on their first trip to Vancouver Island,  I learned as I chatted with Speech when they walked over to check out some of the other bands playing. In the mellow vibe of a sunny afternoon in the Comox Valley, they strolled across the field, through the people, in peace.

The previous year, I and a group of friends who are regulars, coming up and camping every year, had the honour of seeing the band Little Feat perform with their original drummer, Richie Hayward, who had not been well for some time. It was a great performance, the final concert on Sunday evening, so many of the bands groovin' hits from their glory days. Hayward passed away a month later.

 That same year guitar god Adrian Belew was an earth shaking tour de force of power rock. Together with an energetic female bass player and a drummer evocative of Thor, they produced a trancelike driving sound which had me hurrying to the merchandise tent.

Sometimes the performers come to you . . .

That is another of the happy by-products of a music festival, you hear and see performers you might never otherwise know about or experience. Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Cockburn, K'naan, Steve Earl and Taj Mahal are other big names who have performed since the festivals' beginning in 1998. There are many others, local talent, independant types, up and comers. Such a broad range of talent is present every year, performing solo, in different combinations, hundreds of performances, and also workshops, that it isn't possible to see them all, only have a great time trying.